Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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186. To ask the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to a correspondence (details supplied); her views on the decision not to appoint a group to the expert advisory group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60320/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am committed to supporting our cancer screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.

The Programme for Government commits to extending the ages for the BreastCheck screening programme, in line with updated standards from HIQA.

I would highlight that any proposed changes to Ireland’s cancer screening programmes will be facilitated through established protocols. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes.

NSAC assesses the evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria, before making recommendations to myself as Minister for Health. The rigorous processes utilised by NSAC are critical to ensure that our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

As has been referenced, at the request of NSAC, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), have commenced their Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to consider the proposed expansion of the BreastCheck programme. This review will comprise two elements; the proposed extension of the age range eligibility to those aged 45-49 and 70-74, and also the potential introduction of a standardised breast density notification.

As part of their HTA processes, HIQA seek to ensure that a range of relevant stakeholders to a given topic are included in their Expert Advisory Group (EAG), including appropriate representation from patient/public voices. However, it is important to emphasise that the HTA process is conducted to inform the work NSAC, which is independent of my Department. As such, it would not be appropriate for myself, as Minister, to intervene directly in terms of the composition of the BreastCheck HTA EAG.